February 26, 2015 - Garmin today announced the
GDL 84H and GDL 88H Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) datalink.
Helicopter owners and operators are offered
added safety benefits with the GDL 84H and GDL
88H, which meet equipage requirements for ADS-B
Out while receiving ADS-B In traffic and weather
on a mobile device or compatible display in the
cockpit.

Industry leading ADS-B in technology provided by
the GDL 84H and GDL 88H offer safety enhancing
features specifically for helicopters such as
TerminalTraffic, On Scene mode, TargetTrend and
more.

These products meet the unique and stringent
demands encountered by helicopter operators,
while providing them with a timely solution to
meet airspace modernization initiatives.

“We have leveraged our expertise in the
helicopter industry to develop these optimized
solutions that offer immediate benefits for
helicopter operators today, while allowing them
to meet the requirements of ADS-B Out by
December 31, 2019,” said Carl Wolf, vice
president of aviation sales and marketing.

“The universal adoption of ADS-B promises to
bring widespread access to traffic and weather
information that was previously out of reach for
many helicopter operators due to cost,
availability and installation concerns. Garmin
continues to invest in innovative and
forward-thinking technology by offering
affordable and scalable ADS-B solutions that
enhance safety and situational awareness for our
customers.”

The GDL 84H and GDL 88H provide a rule-compliant
ADS-B Out solution for helicopter operators in
the U.S., while offering state-of-the-art
traffic alerting capabilities tailored to these
operators and their unique operations.
Beneficial traffic and Flight Information
Service-Broadcast (FIS-B) weather allow pilots
to easily access the safety benefits offered by
ADS-B on an installed compatible display or
mobile device in the cockpit using Garmin Pilot.

Enhancing the traffic display, TargetTrend relative
motion technology helps pilots visualize the trend of
the traffic threats as it relates to their aircraft,
while innovative dual-link technology provides pilots
with the most comprehensive ADS-B traffic picture
available in the industry.

On
Scene mode minimizes nuisance traffic alerts when
intentionally operating in close proximity to other
helicopters during hovering operations such as
Electronic News Gathering. This pilot-activated
sophisticated technology acknowledges nearby traffic by
reducing alerts while still providing alerts for new
traffic threats. Pilot action is not required when
resuming normal flight operations. On Scene mode is
available with the GTN™ 650/750 touchscreen avionics and
GDL 88H.

As
part of Garmin’s Terminal Safety Suite, TerminalTraffic
provides pilots with the most comprehensive picture of
ADS-B-equipped aircraft and ground vehicles in the
airport environment. ADS-B-equipped aircraft in-flight
are easily distinguished from ground vehicles and
taxiing aircraft, which are displayed using distinct
colors and symbols. All of this information is presented
to the pilot on a simple, easy to understand SafeTaxi
diagram with reference to runways, taxiways hangar
locations and more. Additionally, when configured for
helicopter operations, TerminalTraffic helps pilots
easily distinguish potential traffic conflicts while in
the airport environment by minimizing nuisance alerts
from fixed-wing aircraft and abbreviating select alerts
while performing unique helicopter maneuvers such as
hovering.

Flexibility and versatility provided by the GDL 84H and
GDL 88H give operators a wide range of display choices
to receive the safety and operational benefits offered
by these products. The GDL 88H conveniently interfaces
with the GTN touchscreen series or GNS WAAS navigators
to display ADS-B traffic and weather in the cockpit.

For operators without a compatible display, the GDL 84H
wirelessly transmits weather and traffic information to
a mobile device using Garmin Pilot when paired with the
Flight Stream 110/210 Bluetooth® wireless gateway.
Additionally, for helicopters that do not already have
an approved WAAS position source on board, the GDL 84H
and GDL 88H are optionally equipped with a built-in WAAS
GPS receiver.

These straightforward solutions give operators an easy
path to meet airspace requirements, which provide
innovative traffic alerting capabilities and give
operators a variety of display configurations to receive
the benefits of ADS-B traffic and weather.

Garmin is expecting to receive Supplemental Type
Certification (STC) for the installation of the GDL 84H
and GDL 88H in several popular helicopter models in Q2
2015. The GDL 84H system with an internal WAAS receiver
and Flight Stream 110 Bluetooth wireless gateway is
expected to be available starting at $5,995.
Additionally, the GDL 88H is expected to be available
starting at $4,795.